This invention relates generally to western saddles and more particularly to a stirrup attachment for standard size western saddles that includes shortened stirrups so that the saddle may be used by children.
The enjoyment of horseback riding by children has been hindered by the continued unavailability of low-cost alternatives to saddles of adult or standard size. This is because the stirrups on a standard saddle cannot be reached by children. So-called youth saddles that are simply scaled-down versions of standard saddles are available for use by younger children and youths on ponies. However, this alternative is generally economically prohibitive because of the cost of replacement as the user outgrows both the saddle and the pony.
Several accessories are known in the prior art for attachment to standard saddles that will permit their use by children. One such accessory is a piggyback saddle, simply a smaller saddle that mounts onto a standard saddle rather than directly onto the horse, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,592 to Schindler. This smaller saddle is mounted onto a standard saddle by means of straps on the front and rear of the smaller saddle that attach to the pommel and cantle of the standard saddle. The stirrups of the smaller saddle lie over the fender of the larger saddle. This accessory exhibits may of the same problems of youth saddles in that it is relatively expensive and quickly outgrown.
An auxilliary stirrup attachment, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,812, mounts onto a standard saddle by way of one set of straps that must be threaded through an opening in the pommel of the saddle and another set of straps that encircles the cantle of the standard saddle. This device includes several cumbersome straps and buckles that must be individually adjusted each time it is attached to or removed from the saddle.
A similar auxilliary stirrup attachment that may be mounted onto a standard saddle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,834. This stirrup attachment includes a main strap having stirrups mounted on each end and a second strap centrally attached to the main strap. The second strap must also be threaded through the opening in the pommel so that the main strap extends over the saddle body with the stirrups over the fenders on either side of the standard saddle. This stirrup attachment also includes several cumbersome straps and buckles that must be individually adjusted each time it is attached to or removed from the saddle. In addition, it is not maintained in a fixed postion, but rather is free to move about, resulting in mispositioning of the stirrups, which may jeopardize the safety of a young rider.
Yet another stirrup attachment for a standard saddle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,721 to Van Scoyk, involving a single strap having stirrups mounted on each end thereof. The central portion of the strap is first threaded forward through the opening in the pommel of the standard saddle and is then looped backward over the horn of the saddle. This attachment is cumbersome to install on the saddle and is also disadvantagous from a rider safety standpoint in that only a frictional force between the strap and the saddle horn holds the stirrups in positions equidistant from the centerline of the saddle. In the event the rider puts his or her weight on one or the other of the stirrups, this frictional force may not be sufficient to prevent slippage of the strap, and serious injury to the rider may result.
It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a relatively inexpensive, simple stirrup attachment that may be quickly and easily positioned on a standard adult saddle so that the adult saddle may be safely used by youthful riders.
This and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention by providing a dome-shaped leather central section having an aperture therein through which the saddle horn of a standard saddle is received. The central section includes left and right strap extensions to which conventional stirrup adjustment sections and associated youth stirrups may be attached. In use, the stirrup attachment is simply placed over the saddle, with the saddle horn protruding through the aperture in the stirrup attachment, thereby maintaining the stirrup attachment in a secure forward position on the standard saddle. The stirrup adjustment sections are lengthened or shortened to raise or lower the youth stirrups in order to accommodate the particular needs of a youthful rider. These features also facilitate transfer of the stirrup attachment quickly and easily from one standard saddle to another without the need for buckling or unbuckling cumbersome attachment straps or for routing these attachment straps through an opening in the pommel of a saddle, as variously required to position prior art stirrup accessories.